carpetbomb wrote:Hi everyone,I'm Canadian. Used to love Sierra adventure games and the entire culture (Interaction Magazine, the Sierra BBS, hint books, ... ) when I was young. Very happy to meet you all!

Welcome to the board! Hope to see you posting more!

What lured you here initially?

Hi, nice to meet you. Every once in a while I'll encounter a scenario in my real life that reminds me of something that happened in a Sierra game. For example, just last week I had to laugh when I realised I was using a magic rope to help me steal a pair of bellows from atop a weapons maker's shop. Brought back some great gaming memories!

I found this forum a while ago through a thread on GOG.com. Thought I finally would introduce myself since I find myself returning fairly often and reading

I'm a big fan of adventure games, not necessarily limited to Sierra, although they have published some of my favorites! Most of my favorite adventure games also happen to be the ones I played growing up, but I am always on the lookout for new and fun ones. I keep hearing about Gabriel Knight and that's probably the next one I'll try.

The ones I've played and enjoyed, for various reasons:Quest for Glory series - I love the mix of adventure and RPG elements.King's Quest seriesMonkey Island seriesFlight of the Amazon QueenBeneath a Steel Sky (used to be free on GOG, not sure now)

I'm sure there's more that I can't think of at the moment.

I am also an avid collector of old cartridge games, boxes & manuals. Although I haven't added to it in a while as storage has become a concern. My biggest collection is NES & SNES games. I am working on my PC collection, but unfortunately in most cases I have lost the boxes over the years and just have the jewel cases & manuals. I have flocked toward GOG.com a lot more lately in part because of the storage issue, although there are a few games I really wish they'd add like DISCWORLD, and the games by Legend Entertainment (Shannara, Deathgate).

Aside from all that I also have a special place in my heart for late 90s & early 2000s adventure/RPG - I think most people will love or hate these, especially because they came at a turning point for gaming which ended up with... a lot less adventure games. But I fall on the "love" side - Neverwinter Nights, Return to Krondor, Mask of Eternity, Ultima 9, Wizardry 8, Quest for Glory 5, and the Might & Magic series.

As for what I do. I am a web developer by day and a "tinkerer" by night - sometimes when I get my hands on an old game, I just want to take it apart and see how it works, and see what can be done with it, and I think that is half the fun

Look forward to participating here and reading more of your great tips and games I should try!

Kitarak wrote:Hi everyone,I found this forum a while ago through a thread on GOG.com. Thought I finally would introduce myself since I find myself returning fairly often and reading

First and foremost - welcome to the forums! Always good to see some new people on here!

Kitarak wrote:I'm a big fan of adventure games, not necessarily limited to Sierra, although they have published some of my favorites! Most of my favorite adventure games also happen to be the ones I played growing up, but I am always on the lookout for new and fun ones. I keep hearing about Gabriel Knight and that's probably the next one I'll try.The ones I've played and enjoyed, for various reasons:Quest for Glory series - I love the mix of adventure and RPG elements.King's Quest seriesMonkey Island seriesFlight of the Amazon QueenBeneath a Steel Sky (used to be free on GOG, not sure now)

Both Flight of the Amazon Queen and Beneath a Steel Sky were free on GOG.com, I believe... I believe I picked both up, simply because they were free on there! (Though I've not tried them yet!)

Kitarak wrote:I am also an avid collector of old cartridge games, boxes & manuals. Although I haven't added to it in a while as storage has become a concern. My biggest collection is NES & SNES games. I am working on my PC collection, but unfortunately in most cases I have lost the boxes over the years and just have the jewel cases & manuals. I have flocked toward GOG.com a lot more lately in part because of the storage issue, although there are a few games I really wish they'd add like DISCWORLD, and the games by Legend Entertainment (Shannara, Deathgate).

The only games I collected were Sierra games (managed to keep all the boxes and everything), Wizardry series & Realms of Arkania (from Sir-Tech). But like you, I've also gotten those games on GOG.com, just for simplicity sake. (However, Wizardry 1-5 is not available on GOG and tied up in legal matters, which is probably why it's not there, because a Japanese company has bought the Wizardry series, after Sir-Tech went under and done horrible things... Sigh...) And very cool to see you played Shannara and DeathGate. If you still have those games on disc; somewhere on this forum, Collector made an installer for DeathGate (for me since I had the game).

Kitarak wrote:I think most people will love or hate these, especially because they came at a turning point for gaming which ended up with... a lot less adventure games. But I fall on the "love" side - Neverwinter Nights, Return to Krondor, Mask of Eternity, Ultima 9, Wizardry 8, Quest for Glory 5, and the Might & Magic series.

You're speaking my language! I absolutely loved Neverwinter Nights! As a matter of fact I made a machinima series from Neverwinter Nights - called Neverending Nights (I am redoing the series in 1080p, because the original was like in 800x600 resolution, which looks blah in today's standards). Dug Mask of Eternity (was hired by Atari, to do a machine piece with Mask of Eternity to promote the game - got to go to Obsidian's office and all that - The promos were meant to show off different aspects of the game, while still making a funny series - you can watch the episodes we did to promote it (and the first expansion) on our youtube channel. And I have the entire Ultima series (mostly on GOG too), and loved Wizardry 8 - that one's special to me, because my wife played that with me (she bought her own copy and actually beat it about a week before I did, despite the two week lead I had!), loved QFG5 (all of them, really) and own all of M&M both on disc and on GoG! So... you're in good company!

Kitarak wrote:As for what I do. I am a web developer by day and a "tinkerer" by night - sometimes when I get my hands on an old game, I just want to take it apart and see how it works, and see what can be done with it, and I think that is half the fun Look forward to participating here and reading more of your great tips and games I should try!

Hah! With the release of the AGI and SCI studio (stuff that made the Sierra games) - I go through phases where I want to do a game - I could easily do the writing and puzzles - but I lack the knowledge on how to do the stuff within SCI/AGI.

Kitarak wrote:I'm a big fan of adventure games, not necessarily limited to Sierra, although they have published some of my favorites! Most of my favorite adventure games also happen to be the ones I played growing up, but I am always on the lookout for new and fun ones. I keep hearing about Gabriel Knight and that's probably the next one I'll try.The ones I've played and enjoyed, for various reasons:Quest for Glory series - I love the mix of adventure and RPG elements.King's Quest seriesMonkey Island seriesFlight of the Amazon QueenBeneath a Steel Sky (used to be free on GOG, not sure now)

Both Flight of the Amazon Queen and Beneath a Steel Sky were free on GOG.com, I believe... I believe I picked both up, simply because they were free on there! (Though I've not tried them yet!)

Tawmis wrote:very cool to see you played Shannara and DeathGate. If you still have those games on disc; somewhere on this forum, Collector made an installer for DeathGate (for me since I had the game).

I loved those games - its been close to 20 years now but I *think* I still have the discs. I'll have to look in storage. I'd love to revisit DeathGate in particular - my memory might be hazy but at the time I thought it was a very unique, interesting game. I think all of the "adventure" style games by that game publisher were based on novels and were pretty well done. And they seem to have been mostly forgotten, which is a shame. I've been wanting to try the rest of them. Someday

Tawmis wrote:I made a machinima series from Neverwinter Nights - called Neverending Nights

This is fantastic, love the humor and the NWN characters are making me want to play again. That game is probably one of my top games of all time - the way they let you build, mod, & script things and all the custom worlds that popped up online... I've never seen anything like that again. Anyway... you just earned a subscriber.

Tawmis wrote:Hah! With the release of the AGI and SCI studio (stuff that made the Sierra games) - I go through phases where I want to do a game - I could easily do the writing and puzzles - but I lack the knowledge on how to do the stuff within SCI/AGI.

I just found out about this! I am mid-way through another project right now, but I want to check this out next. Incredible that people were able to figure this out.

Tawmis wrote:very cool to see you played Shannara and DeathGate. If you still have those games on disc; somewhere on this forum, Collector made an installer for DeathGate (for me since I had the game).

I loved those games - its been close to 20 years now but I *think* I still have the discs. I'll have to look in storage. I'd love to revisit DeathGate in particular - my memory might be hazy but at the time I thought it was a very unique, interesting game. I think all of the "adventure" style games by that game publisher were based on novels and were pretty well done. And they seem to have been mostly forgotten, which is a shame. I've been wanting to try the rest of them. Someday

I am going to date myself here (not as in, "let's go on a date"... I may be crazy, but not even I would want to date myself... But what I mean, as in my age!)

So, if you've read The Death Gate Cycle books - here's a tidbit. Back in the day, I was so heavily influenced by these books that I opened up my own Bulleten Board System {BBS} originally using Renegade, but I switched to WWIV (because that's what so many others were using, and we able to send messages back and forth) - but anyway - all of that to say - the name of the BBS I ran was "The Nexus" and the handle I used back then was "Hugh the Hand." (Though it was technically Haplo, who for obvious reasons, would become my favorite).

Kitarak wrote:

Tawmis wrote:I made a machinima series from Neverwinter Nights - called Neverending Nights

This is fantastic, love the humor and the NWN characters are making me want to play again. That game is probably one of my top games of all time - the way they let you build, mod, & script things and all the custom worlds that popped up online... I've never seen anything like that again. Anyway... you just earned a subscriber.

Awesome! Don't watch the older versions of the videos - stick to the new 1080p I am re-doing. The older ones were blah - and it will also spoil stuff. (Yes, believe it or not there's an over all story to each season!)

I try to release new episodes every Saturday (but last Saturday was busy, then this past Saturday was 4th of July, then this coming weekend I am going out of town for my birthday!) But I will resume once I get back!

And thank you for adding yourself as a subscriber! I love it!

Kitarak wrote:

Tawmis wrote:Hah! With the release of the AGI and SCI studio (stuff that made the Sierra games) - I go through phases where I want to do a game - I could easily do the writing and puzzles - but I lack the knowledge on how to do the stuff within SCI/AGI.

I just found out about this! I am mid-way through another project right now, but I want to check this out next. Incredible that people were able to figure this out.

Sadly I have not. I think around the time those were out, I was heavily invested in a couple of AD&D series. The Dark Sun world in particular was holding my interest at that time, along with Ravenloft & Birthright. I'm not sure how they hold up today since it's been years since I read them... but anyway, maybe I should try to find copies of DeathGate novels.

Tawmis wrote:We may have to smash some ideas together, if you ever get interested.

Sadly I have not. I think around the time those were out, I was heavily invested in a couple of AD&D series. The Dark Sun world in particular was holding my interest at that time, along with Ravenloft & Birthright. I'm not sure how they hold up today since it's been years since I read them... but anyway, maybe I should try to find copies of DeathGate novels.

Yes! I would recommend the books - though there's 7 in the series.

And after reading your PM - I realized, I mixed up "Mask of Eternity" with "Mask of the Betrayer" - because you had mentioned Neverwinter Nights; and the expansion for NWN2 (the first one) was "Mask of the Betrayer."

Hi everyone. I've only just registered but have been a longtime visitor to the Sierra Help Pages.

I'm currently based in Sydney but come from the U.S. Sierra games have been a part of my life for over 23 years now. My family got our first computer in 1994 or so, and King's Quest VII was the first game we got. Six year old me had a blast with it, and it opened Sierra's world up for me. I know that game has a mixed reception, but it did what the company intended it to do: reached out to a young gamer and provided a foot in the door to everything else they had to offer.

Not long after, my mother purchased The Dagger of Amon Ra for her and a friend to play together. Yours truly, only in kindergarten at the time, somehow became quite attached to it and actually became quite good, even if I didn't understand many of the references at that age. I advanced much further than my mother ever did and even gave her hints. I fondly remember shouting up the stairs with delight every time I found another body. I even have old kindergarten notebooks with doodles of Laura Bow in them. So yeah, I had cool parents who let me play dark murder mysteries as a kid. Ziggy's head was the only element I remember scaring me.

I never tire of visiting Sierra's many titles and am still discovering new ones to this day. I only experienced Space Quest for the first time a few years ago, and am currently playing my way through the series. I just finished SQ3 for the first time last week and loved it. I'm so thankful GOG has made these available, as there were many I never purchased back in the day.

I'm also a fan of a number of Westwood and LucasArts titles (The Legend of Kyrandia, Lands of Lore, Loom, The Dig), but lately I've been more attached to Sierra than ever. This has been a rather trying few years for me, and escaping into these games never fails to provide a welcome diversion. Not just playing and re-playing them, either, but using the various tools out there to explore how the various SCI engines work, discovering the unused elements in the resource files, and generally just developing a fuller understanding of how these titles came to be. It's wonderful that there are so many resources and communities out there devoted to keeping them alive and exploring their history.

My thanks to the Sierra Help Pages for all that you've done and continue to do. I look forward to continue learning about and discussing these great games.

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:Hi everyone. I've only just registered but have been a longtime visitor to the Sierra Help Pages.

Welcome to the forums!

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:I'm currently based in Sydney but come from the U.S.

And welcome to the US!

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote: Sierra games have been a part of my life for over 23 years now. My family got our first computer in 1994 or so, and King's Quest VII was the first game we got. Six year old me had a blast with it, and it opened Sierra's world up for me. I know that game has a mixed reception, but it did what the company intended it to do: reached out to a young gamer and provided a foot in the door to everything else they had to offer.

I am one of the folks that's never understood those who disliked KQVII. Yes, it was much "easier" and less "exploring" that the previous games; but it was essentially an interactive cartoon that was utterly amazing to behold and be able to control the characters! It was done absolutely beautifully - especially for it's time.

Now... if we talk Mask of the Betrayer (which I refuse to call a part of the King's Quest franchise, despite taking place in Daventry) - then, I'd have some negative things to say!

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:Not long after, my mother purchased The Dagger of Amon Ra for her and a friend to play together. Yours truly, only in kindergarten at the time, somehow became quite attached to it and actually became quite good, even if I didn't understand many of the references at that age. I advanced much further than my mother ever did and even gave her hints. I fondly remember shouting up the stairs with delight every time I found another body. I even have old kindergarten notebooks with doodles of Laura Bow in them. So yeah, I had cool parents who let me play dark murder mysteries as a kid. Ziggy's head was the only element I remember scaring me.

Ah yes, youth, ... when you got excited about finding dead bodies.

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:I never tire of visiting Sierra's many titles and am still discovering new ones to this day. I only experienced Space Quest for the first time a few years ago, and am currently playing my way through the series. I just finished SQ3 for the first time last week and loved it. I'm so thankful GOG has made these available, as there were many I never purchased back in the day.

Or Police Quest (I, II and III), or Quest for Glory I-V, or Gabriel Knight I-III...

There's more - but that's the core.

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:I'm also a fan of a number of Westwood and LucasArts titles (The Legend of Kyrandia, Lands of Lore, Loom, The Dig), but lately I've been more attached to Sierra than ever.

Curious - when was the last time you played Legend of Kyrandia? Because I recently replayed it (remember loving it as a kid) - and how I made it through that game (puzzles are insane), I will never know. I am currently (on hiatus) but playing Legend of Kyrandia II, as well as King's Quest IV and Les Manly 1 (and Dragonsphere) - for old school games (and then somehow trying to play an assortment of new games all at the same time... I need to clone myself!)

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote: This has been a rather trying few years for me, and escaping into these games never fails to provide a welcome diversion. Not just playing and re-playing them, either, but using the various tools out there to explore how the various SCI engines work, discovering the unused elements in the resource files, and generally just developing a fuller understanding of how these titles came to be. It's wonderful that there are so many resources and communities out there devoted to keeping them alive and exploring their history.

Best community is right here for Sierra. Collector can provide you all kinds of information about the game structure, I'm sure.

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:My thanks to the Sierra Help Pages for all that you've done and continue to do. I look forward to continue learning about and discussing these great games.

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:Hi everyone. I've only just registered but have been a longtime visitor to the Sierra Help Pages.

Welcome to the forums, SHP! (Can I call you that? SHP = Semi-Happy Partygoer, and also Sierra Help Pages!)

Tawmis wrote:

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote: Sierra games have been a part of my life for over 23 years now. My family got our first computer in 1994 or so, and King's Quest VII was the first game we got. Six year old me had a blast with it, and it opened Sierra's world up for me. I know that game has a mixed reception, but it did what the company intended it to do: reached out to a young gamer and provided a foot in the door to everything else they had to offer.

I am one of the folks that's never understood those who disliked KQVII. Yes, it was much "easier" and less "exploring" that the previous games; but it was essentially an interactive cartoon that was utterly amazing to behold and be able to control the characters! It was done absolutely beautifully - especially for it's time.

Now... if we talk Mask of the Betrayer (which I refuse to call a part of the King's Quest franchise, despite taking place in Daventry) - then, I'd have some negative things to say!

Um, Tawm? Mask of Eternity was King's Quest; Mask of the Betrayer was part of Neverwinter Nights 2.

Tawmis wrote:

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:I never tire of visiting Sierra's many titles and am still discovering new ones to this day. I only experienced Space Quest for the first time a few years ago, and am currently playing my way through the series. I just finished SQ3 for the first time last week and loved it. I'm so thankful GOG has made these available, as there were many I never purchased back in the day.

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote: Sierra games have been a part of my life for over 23 years now. My family got our first computer in 1994 or so, and King's Quest VII was the first game we got. Six year old me had a blast with it, and it opened Sierra's world up for me. I know that game has a mixed reception, but it did what the company intended it to do: reached out to a young gamer and provided a foot in the door to everything else they had to offer.

I am one of the folks that's never understood those who disliked KQVII. Yes, it was much "easier" and less "exploring" that the previous games; but it was essentially an interactive cartoon that was utterly amazing to behold and be able to control the characters! It was done absolutely beautifully - especially for it's time.Now... if we talk Mask of the Betrayer (which I refuse to call a part of the King's Quest franchise, despite taking place in Daventry) - then, I'd have some negative things to say!

Um, Tawm? Mask of Eternity was King's Quest; Mask of the Betrayer was part of Neverwinter Nights 2.

Hah! Crossing my games... Well, I suppose we could say Mask of Eternity was a betrayal of the King's Quest franchise?

Rath Darkblade wrote:

Tawmis wrote:

Semi-Happy Partygoer wrote:I never tire of visiting Sierra's many titles and am still discovering new ones to this day. I only experienced Space Quest for the first time a few years ago, and am currently playing my way through the series. I just finished SQ3 for the first time last week and loved it. I'm so thankful GOG has made these available, as there were many I never purchased back in the day.

SQ3 is my favorite, followed closely by SQ4.You mentioned playing KQVII - but have you played I-VI also?Or Leisure Suit Larry (only I-III, and V-VI... don't worry about finding IV)

What about Leisure Suit Larry 7?

Apparently in my haste I dropped an "I" at the end of "VI"... that should have indeed read, V-VII)